a record powerball jackpot, $500 billion. we tracked down where your lottery money really goes. body language. what everything from your hands to your earlobes is secretly telling you about your heart and your health. and say cheese. the christmas card olympics have begun, and tonight we give our first award for the most daring holiday card idea of all. good evening. today we watched a riveting showdown in washington, d.c., a woman, marched straight into the lion's den to take on her critics. she is the u.n. ambassador, susan rice, and she may be the next secretary of state if her opponents can't stop her. abc's senior political correspondent jonathan karl has

the drama today. jon? >> reporter: diane, the white house and senate republicans appear to be on a collision course with some prominent republicans dead set against the president's leading candidate for secretary of state. talk about a test of diplomatic skills, susan rice on capitol hill meeting with republicans determined to stop her from becoming secretary of state. rice herself asked for the meetings, but the effort to smooth things over didn't exactly work. the senators demanded answers on why she tied the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, to an anti-muslim video. they didn't like what they heard. >> the concerns i have are greater today than they were before, and we're not even close to getting the basic answers. >> it is clear that the information that she gave the american people was incorrect. >> reporter: the president hasn't yet decided who he'll nominate to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state, but rice is the leading candidate. >> if i think that she would be the best person to serve america

in the capacity of the state department, then i will nominate her. >> reporter: behind closed doors rice acknowledged that some of what she said about the libya attack was wrong but that the information came directly from the cia. the same is true of condoleezza rice, who passed on incorrect cia information on weapons of mass destruction in iraq but was still overwhelmingly confirmed as secretary of state. susan rice is closer to the president than anybody in his cabinet and has been an overachiever for most of her life, high school valedictorian, basketball star, rhodes scholar rising star in the clinton administration, but she also has a reputation for blunt talk. >> by all accounts she is talented, capable and extremely abrasive. >> reporter: in the 2008 campaign, she ridiculed hillary clinton's foreign policy experience and called john mccain "reckless and confused." if the president does nominate her, those who know her say she is more than up for the fight.

although this would be a bruising battle, diane, i can tell you she would almost certainly have the votes to be confirmed. >> all right. jon karl reporting tonight. thank you, jon. now we turn to the other battle brewing tonight, the clock is still ticking on the fiscal cliff. 35 days, taxes including on the middle class, will rise in america unless congress reaches a deal. abc senior white house correspondent jake tapper tells us the latest on this duel that would affect every single american family. >> reporter: the manufacturers of these angry birds building sets in pennsylvania will later this week be visited by president obama as he makes his case for raising tax rates on wealthier americans as part of a larger deal with congress. and while the president is not trying to provoke anger necessarily, he is trying to drum up passions for his proposal. meeting with small business owners today such as texas crop duster manufacturer, david ikert. >> there was a lot of talk in the room about certainty. small business wants certainty

so they can plan, strategically look at how we move forward. >> reporter: and releasing these showing them pleading for their tax cuts to be extended. >> if you take away the $2,200 from my paycheck, it would severely impact my family. >> reporter: while those for wealthier americans are allowed to expire. >> we're not going to solve this problem by creating villains and drumming up outrage. >> reporter: republicans today slammed the president for outsourcing the negotiations to treasury secretary tim geithner and other members of his administration. >> rather than sitting down with lawmakers of both parties and working out an agreement, he's back on the campaign trail presumably with the same old talking points that we're all quite familiar with. >> so jake tapper is with us now. they've clearly drawn their battle lines. what happens next? is there a date to watch? >> december 14th the house is scheduled to go on recess. if they break, the house of representatives without some sort of clear parameters of where this agreement might head, then i think we're in trouble,

and this could really come down to the wire. >> so 2 1/2 weeks we should know if they're really going to play it right up to the wire. >> that's right, and there's a lot at stake obviously. the stock market, $6 trillion in tax increases, $1.2 trillion in deep spending cuts. for the average middle class family, $2,200 in higher taxes. >> that would be a hard christmas holiday for all the members of congress to face if they do that. >> absolutely. >> okay, jake tapper, good to have you in new york. >> thank you. and we head now to the middle east tonight to tahrir square the birthplace of the spring in egypt almost two years ago and once again egyptians are protesting this time trying to hold on to their democracy during a turbulent november. and abc's alex marquardt was on the scene in cairo today. >> reporter: the birthplace of egypt's revolution today once again ringing with calls for the downfall of a dictator. [ speaking a foreign language ]

>> reporter: this time it's for this man, president mohammed morsi whom america relies on to be a regional peace broker. it has led to days of bloody clashes. the crowed is chanting erhal, or leave. these are many of the same chants we heard two years ago during the revolution, except that they've substituted mubarak for morsi. egyptians toppled president hosni mubarak, the dictator who ruled for three decades. they then held an historic election and voted in a new president. >> he's like a pharaoh. >> reporter: morsi's office says it is temporary to put egypt on the right track. tonight the wise voices say it's far from fear that will win the showdown, but there are certainly more bloody days ahead on egypt's bumpy road to democracy. alex marquardt, abc news, cairo. and back here at home we

want to tell you about another food alert out tonight and this one is about pork. a big consumer report study found a high rate of contamination in pork chops and ground pork from a kind of bacteria that can send you to the emergency room. abc's dr. richard besser brings us the whole picture. >> reporter: you don't know its name, but you may be 1 of the 100,000 americans who get sick each year from bacteria called yersinia. and today's study explains why. "consumer reports" tested pork, the types you'd buy in the supermarket, including pork chops and ground pork and they found that nearly 70% of the samples they tested had the dangerous bacteria yersinia on it. ground pork turned out to be even more risky than pork chops. >> this should be a wake-up call to the american public in terms of what are we doing in terms of monitoring the safety of pork and what can we do in the future? >> reporter: this bacteria can hit hard. in a matter of days, you'll experience fever, cramps, and bloody diarrhea that may last for weeks, especially common in children.

cooking the pork thoroughly does kill this bacteria, but be careful. it's easy to spread it to the surfaces of your kitchen, the plate, the cutting board, your hands, anything the raw pork touched. take a look at this kitchen where we handled meat. all the dots germs. the pork producers questioned the quality of the study and the u.s. department of agriculture issued a statement saying pork is safe and the companies are all in compliance. "consumer reports" say it stands by their report. >> so what do you do in your own kitchen? >> well, this is something that's easily preventible. you need to cook your pork and bring it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees for whole pork, 160 for ground pork and make sure that you don't contaminate your kitchen by using separate cutting boards for raw foods -- for raw pork and vegetables and always wash your hands whenever you've handled raw meat. >> bacon too or ground pork? >> there's never been an outbreak by bacon but you have

to treat it like a raw product too and cook it well before you eat it too. >> thank you, rich. now we want you to know about an extraordinary punishment for the country's big cigarette companies today. a federal judge said they lied and they have to take out ads and admit it publicly. specifically the judge said they have to, quote, say they deliberately deceived the american public about the dangers of cigarettes and that they design them to be addictive. the companies have been battling these court rulings since 1999. they're expected to appeal yet again. and turning now to the record-breaking powerball jackpot, take a look at this. all day people lining up in white hills, arizona. it's a hot spot for californians who have no powerball but cross the border to buy tickets in arizona. some waited more than an hour. the jackpot is now at $500 million. the drawing, 24 hours away, but not all the money we pay goes to the winners.

so we set up to find out who gets the rest of it. here's abc's amy robach. >> reporter: powerball fever has swept the nation. >> and good luck. >> all right. >> reporter: it's believed by the time of tomorrow night's drawing, americans will have purchased more than $1 billion in powerball tickets. nationally, that's 105,000 tickets per minute. 41 states, as well as the district of columbia and virgin islands participate. since powerball began 20 years ago, buying your ticket in indiana has proven to be the safest bet with 38 winners from that state alone. missouri follows with 26. florida, which sells the most tickets, has seen four winners in just the past three years. >> this big money tonight -- >> reporter: when jackpots soar so do sales. the states are all winners here raking in $60 billion just last year. so where does that money go when you buy that $2 powerball ticket? $1 goes to pay out the cash prizes. the other is kept by your state.

it covers the cost and funds programs like health care and education. in florida, more than a billion dollars a year goes to statewide education. in pennsylvania last year, more than a billion dollars went to assist seniors. here's how it works in new jersey. >> so it goes throughout the state into all areas, whether it's in prizes or in revenues through the treasury or into hospitals and centers for the developmentally disabled. >> more goods news for states looking for a boost to their budget. amy robach, abc news, new york. and still ahead here on "world news," the clues in your mirror. what your ears, your hands and more are telling you about your health.

of washington about the future of medicare and social security. anncr: but you deserve straight talk about the options on the... table and what they mean for you and your family. ancr: aarp is cutting through all the political spin. because for our 37 million members, only one word counts. get the facts at earnedasay.org. let's keep medicare... and social security strong for generations to come.

[ coughs ] [ baby crying ] ♪ [ male announcer ] robitussin® liquid formula soothes your throat on contact and the active ingredient relieves your cough. robitussin®. don't suffer the coughequences™. do you really think brushing is enough to keep it clean? while brushing misses germs in 75% of your mouth, listerine® cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine®... power to your mouth™. if you're a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications.

do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com. after you watch this next report, you may want to find a mirror. as we know, heart disease is far and away the number one killer of americans, male and female, but tonight we learn there are red flags your body is waving at you about your heart health from your earlobes to your fingertips. abc's sharyn alfonsi reports on the visible warning signs. >> reporter: they are the clues hidden in plain sight. look closely at her eyes, his

ears, those fingertips. what can they really tell us about the health of your heart? everything. this 74-year-old man has an increased risk for heart disease, and we can tell just by looking at him. how? well, look at his earlobes, at the crease on his ears. he allowed us to get up close and personal. did you ever notice that little crease in your ear before? >> i noticed it because it was mine, but i paid no attention to it just like my nose. >> reporter: but dr. michael attention to it. he is a detective of sorts. and that crease is actually a clue. >> you want to see if there is a diagonal earlobe crease that really is an enfolding of tissue, and that is what is being associated with heart disease. >> reporter: one study found 71% of people with that crease suffered from heart disease. now, look even deeper into the ear. this is kind of gross, but you say we should be looking at our ear wax.

>> yes. we're basically born genetically with one of two different types of ear wax. there is a wet, sticky type and a dry, kind of brittle type, and if you are more of the dry, brittle type, you're at a higher risk of heart disease. >> reporter: doctors believe it could have something to do with the way people's bodies handle oil and fat. our hands hide clues too. one of the biggest indicators of heart disease is something called nail clubbing. >> the tips of the finger, the tissue gets thicker, and it kind of starts to cover up the end of the nail. >> reporter: studies show 80% of people with clubbed fingernails have serious illness like heart disease, lung disease or cancer. thin calves, less than 13 inches around, could also signal heart problems. i thought you just weren't working out your calves enough, but, no, this is an actual problem. >> sometimes small calves reflect increased risk in circulation and increased risk in cardiovascular disease. >> a whole new way of looking at

your body, sharyn. how strong a predictor is that for someone? >> there was one study that said if you have creases in both earlobes, you could have a 77% more likely chance you'll have some kind of heart disease. >> wow. that is big. so tell me about the other things. you look in the mirror, you see them, what do you do with them? do you take them to your doctor and say i have thin calves? >> exactly. don't panic. these are just indicators. it's a good jumping off point for a discussion with your doctor, but point out to him and say, hey, i noticed this or i'm looking at your legs. we even looked at the 5:00 shadow. that's a good thing for men. that means you have more testosterone. the more testosterone you have, the less likely you have heart disease. >> all sorts of secret clues your body is giving. >> look in the mirror and you'll be back later, i know, with other illnesses and other predictors you see in your body, thank you, sharyn. when we return here, you do not have to be afraid of this. if you see red in our "instant

index," what is happening at this famous beach that has swimmers watching from shore? what is that? we'll tell you. it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. . symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today, we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

[ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, for a medicare plan? you only have 10 days left. open enrollment ends friday, december 7th. so give unitedhealthcare a call today. consider a medicare advantage plan. it can combine doctor and hospital coverage with prescription drug coverage for as low as a zero dollar monthly premium. you only have until december 7th to enroll. call unitedhealthcare today. aww, not the mall. well, i'll do the shopping... if you do the shipping. shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. y'know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service.

if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yeah, i know. oh, you're good. [ laughing ] good luck! [ male announcer ] priority mail flat rate boxes. online pricing starts at $5.15. only from the postal service. and now here's what made it to the very top of our "instant index." a photo that stopped us in our tracks today. look at the famous beaches off the coast of sydney, australia. the water looks like tomato soup, but don't be afraid. it's a carpet of red algae that grows and floats on the surface of the water when the water is cool and the outside air is warm. it only lasts a few days, though it's high in ammonia and smells

pretty strong. and remember this number, 19, because friday night a baby was born in the maternity ward at the university of minnesota medical center. it was a boy. the next baby, a boy, the next four babies, boys and a boy and a boy, every baby a boy, 19 times in a row. that's 62 hours and 115 pounds of squealing little boys until finally a little girl broke the streak on monday morning, and, by the way, her dad is the ceo of a diaper business, and he decided to donate three months of free diapers to all of those 19 boys. and for tonight's video, for the first time, the empire state building is using lights to dance. look. ♪ now you're in new york ♪ these streets will make you feel brand new big lights will inspire you ♪ >> the song "empire state of

mind" by alicia keys, who was there last night to flip the switch and make it happen. ♪ make you feel brand new >> and we love hearing from you, what captured your imagination every day, so tweet me your thoughts for "instant index" @dianesawyer. and coming up, it's that time of year. do you have what it takes to compete with this family? i have never encountered such a burning sensation... until i had the shingles. it was like a red rash. like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i had no idea it came from chickenpox. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com gives you a low national plan premium...

so you can focus on what really matters. call humana at 1-800-808-4003. that was me... the day i learned i had to start insulin for my type 2 diabetes. me... thinking my only option was the vial and syringe dad used. and me... discovering once-daily levemir® flexpen. flexpen® is prefilled. doesn't need refrigeration for up to 42 days. no drawing from a vial. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. flexpen® is insulin delivery... my way. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life threatening. ask your healthcare provider about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include

injection site reactions. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, such as body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, or sweating. with flexpen®... say good night to vial and syringe. ask your doctor about levemir® flexpen. covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com. bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what?

[ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! gives you a low national plan premium... so you can focus on what really matters. call humana at 1-800-808-4003. and finally tonight, as if we all don't have enough stress during the holidays, a kind of arms race is under way for the newest, best, most memorable christmas card photo. and all day you've been sending us pictures of your ideas proving the competition is in full force, and abc's cecilia

vega hands out some awards. ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ >> reporter: 'tis that time of year for sue johnson to put the final touches on costumes for the annual johnson family christmas card. an event that started back in 1980 like any other photo, but with each new year came a more elaborate outfit. christmas tree hats turned into full body christmas trees, which became full body snowmen and full body christmas ornaments. there was the year of the christmas choir, the christmas angel, the tin soldier, and there was that year when the entire family posed as gingerbread men on a baking sheet. >> over the years the family has balked a little, and deep in my heart i thought, you know, they really don't mind. >> reporter: if it's beginning to look a lot like christmas, christmas might look a little high tech this year from video cards to the latest holiday rage

in japan, tiny figurines based on full-body 3-d scans. 2 billion holiday cards are mailed every season. some of you shared yours with us. here are our favorites. best holiday sweater and the most unhappy kid wearing it. best present and the mad children inside. cutest christmas pet, best christmas day reenactment and the prize for most inappropriate dad decking the halls in the buff. what can possibly top last year's johnson family christmas card? card? reindeer antlers maybe. cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. >> and we really want to see your entry, so send them to us online at abcnews.com. we'll be watching for them, and we thank you for watching us tonight. "nightline" will be along later, and we'll see you right back here again tomorrow night. good night.

next at 6:00 stormy weather is on the way. rain won't be the worst of the problems but going to be something else. we'll have live team coverage as the bay area gets ready. >> also, driver being hailed as a hero in san jose after his school bus caught on fire. >> plus, a dangerous encounter a couple comes face-to-face with a man toting a gun after videotaping him driving erratically. >> the vast majority of the men i served with did not care whether or not ways a woman, they cared if i can do the job. >> a new legal challenge about the policy excluding women from combat roles.

>> get yourself ready, here it comes. work crews and residents in flood prone areas get ready for a series of strong storms due to hit the bay area tomorrow morning. good evening, i'm dan ashley! . >> the storm door is swinging open. mark matthews is live but we'll begin with sandhya patel tracking the storm. sandhya? >> this first storm looks bad. it's going to be a fast mover but going to hit at the morning commute. just clouds at this hour, but we have our own radar on mount st. helena tracking all three storms that are due in here the first one as mentioned arriving here during morning commute this, is storm one going to bring us strong winds, heavy rains, storm two due here later in the week and last in the series, it hits us